Julius Caesar: William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is recognized around the world as the greatest English playwright. This entertaining and authoritative account of the Bard's life and work by Professor Dominic Shellard provides a clear account of the main events in the playwright's life, and gives new insights into the circumstances and influences that shaped his major works.

Easily the most respected, revered, and researched author of all time, William Shakespeare and his works have forever changed the face of literature, inspiring playful discussion and heated debate for hundreds of years. He wrote such well-known plays as Hamplet, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night's Dream, published more than 150 sonnets, and coined more than 1,500 new words. While much of his life remains a mystery, this engrossing reference examines all facets of Shakespeare and his writings.

William Shakespeare, the most celebrated poet in the English language, left behind nearly a million words of text, but his biography has long been a thicket of wild supposition arranged around scant facts. With a steady hand and his trademark wit, Bill Bryson sorts through this colorful muddle to reveal the man himself.

Designed and written for students, this four-volume set introduces the genres and major works that constitute Shakespeare's formidable canon. Additional resources are given for research and classroom assignments, and the first volume includes overview essays on major topics related to Shakespeare and his world: the Elizabethan age, his life, the theater of the era, his texts, and his language.